Time Out says

5 out of 5 stars

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4 out of 5 stars

Time Out says

5 out of 5 stars

The National Theatre's puppet-powered First World War epic is one of the boldest West End shows ever

Five years on, the National Theatre's 'War Horse' has become ubiquitous. The toast of the West End and Broadway, as I write this it's sold out at the New London Theatre for the next two months – by contrast, you can book to see 'Matilda' next week.

Its enormous success has negated the impact of Arts Council funding cuts on the NT, to the extent that the show has started to be singled out by some commentators as an example of 'safe' post-credit crunch programming.

And, of course, there's the Steven Spielberg film, a curious affair sparked by the director's genuine love of the play, in which he gives Michael Morpurgo's 1982 a lavish screen treatment that has everything bar the one thing that made the play so special in the first place.

That is, of course, Handspring's astonishing life-size puppets. Skeletally modernist in form but utterly, magically alive thanks to their talented army of puppeteers and Toby Sedgwick's phenomenal choreography, they are the true stars of Tom Morris and Marianne Elliott's production.

Without them, Morpurgo's tale of how Devon-dwelling teen Albert Narracott signed up to throw himself into the meat grinder of World War I – in order to track down his beloved horse Joey – would be a likeable, humane, slightly formulaic introduction to the catastrophe of the war. With them, it is something different entirely, a virtuoso spectacle that combines grit and charm in equal measure.

Joey is a multifaceted delight and the clumsy wheeled goose which shares his farm home is just enchanting. But in the war scenes the puppets take on another aspect entirely, ragged horses and – in an astonishing coup de theatre – an Allied battle tank spilling out into the stark, monochrome stage like something out of Picasso's 'Guernica'. The suggestion that this stylized, often pummelling spectacle was ever a surefire blockbuster is patently silly.

'War Horse' is not flawless. Morpurgo wrote a kids' book, not 'War and Peace' and there are moments of sentiment and contrivance in Nick Stafford's adaptation that are at odds with the austere sweep of the directors' vision. And, while the human actors are very solid for a West End long-runner, I was consistently aghast at Steve Nicolson's ludicrously hammy German-with-a-conscience Gefreiter Karl.

Yet these criticisms feel minor. Entrenched in the heart of Theatreland, 'War Horse' is thrillingly other: technically and visually singular and an oft-unflinching depiction of the futility and horror of conflict. It hasn't slimmed or dumbed down on its move to the West End, à la 'Les Mis'. And because the puppets are the leads, it will never be diminished by cast changes. It is not the greatest play of our time, but it could well be the best West End show.

What a
shame that this show is closing as it’s a beautiful production. The way the animals are portrayed is magnificent
and really innovative - you really believe they are actual animals. The story itself is moving and
emotional. However, it can drag on
for a bit, especially in the second half so I think it’s just a bit too
long as a play. The cast are great
and very engaging. Go watch this
show in its last few days.

One of the benefits of having four children aged 23-9 is that you get to do some good stuff more than once. This was my third trip over about 10 years to see this amazing piece of theatre, sneaking in under the wire with the youngest in the family before it closes.

All those that have seen it know this is a really special production - theatrical, innovative, moving - and those that haven't seen it have really missed out! It closes next week and if you are lucky you might still get a single seat. Last night i saw it from the circle, restricted view and the different perspective really added to my enjoyment. Being able to look down on the action and to see the background screen was very different to the stalls experience and for me i preferred it.

I hope one day this will come back and/or the producers will make something else equally extraordinary.

Ps gutted to realise i could have got a 10% discount on the tickets with my time out card. I wish there was a better way of remembering/finding out when the time out discount is available.

Go, go see this show! You
will be absolutely entranced. I love this play, the whole production and the
storytelling is done so well and the relationship between Albert and Joey is so
heart warming. The cast are super talented but the stars of the show are the
horses you just have to see it for yourself the movements and emotions the
puppeteers can create are incredible.

Its run at the New London
Theatre comes to an end soon so go and see it! It is so aesthetically impressive
and uplifting and the storyline makes you feel like you too are on this
emotional journey with little Albert to find his horse! The cast are fantastic,
everything is executed faultlessly (considering Joey the horse is a bigger prop
that usual!) and the way the space on stage is used makes the New London
Theatre the perfect place to see the play in all its glory. I left pining for ‘Joooeeyy’
and really wanting a horse!

This is a deeply moving story detailing the bond between a young man in Devon with the menacing World War 1 acting as the backdrop. The Handspring Puppet company creations are technical marvels. The three person puppet teams controlling each horse are to be commended for their physicality in mimicking true equine mannerisms. The fluidity in their movements make you quickly forget that the main horse protagonists (Joey and Topthorn) are just mechanical objects, as their characters are as equally as rounded as the various human cast members. This is an immersive experience with cast members launching from the audience though this could obscure the view for some. Although slow in parts, the pathos associated with cavalry horses facing high technology killing machines never leaves you. War Horse justifies the hype. I recommend you see it before it ends in March.

Absolutely beautiful staging of this show - in fact I would almost say that the staging is the show. The use puppetry entirely takes over and transports the the audience into the reality of war - rarely do you see abstraction used so convincingly. But it really does take centre stage. The story is not particularly complex, or the performances compelling. But this is more than made up for by the spectacle itself.

You can't fault the staging or the puppets, it's pretty mesmerising. As a result the story line is almost an afterthought. The plot is fairly basic, the play is slightly too long, and the 'German actors' have clearly never spent a day in Germany. Having said all that, there are several heart-warming moments that hold your attention. I went on a Saturday night and tickets were pretty expensive, I'd recommend lowering your expectations, getting a deal and going mid-week.

The use of puppets is pretty incredible, unique and loads of character. It did go on a bit and the actor playing the lead had a bit of an annoying accent which just seemed to grate so it did feel like it dragged a bit.

I did have a tear in my eye at the end though and the story telling was beautiful.

Truly amazing, I'm so glad we got tickets to see this! It is one of the most incredible theatre experiences I've had in my entire life.It is about love, friendship, companionship, war, peace, family ties, integrity, loyalty, brotherhood. Amazing live music, insanely well-choreographed puppetry, a genius director and cast. Moving and funny! Congratulations! We were gobsmacked!

This is one of the most amazing live performances I have ever seen, admittedly some of the Devonshire accents were 'interesting' but apart from that the acting was superb. I was memorised by the puppetry and soon forgot that I was actually watching puppets. It's no secret that its an emotional story and I managed to hold myself together that was until an elderly gentleman in front of me started to cry and that was it I was a mess.

I am not a lover of animals, and puppets terrified me as a kid so I was really sceptical about how much I was going to enjoy this. However, I will hold my hands up and say this was the most captivating performance I have ever seen on stage (well for a non-musical performance). Andddd half way through we snuck downstairs to mischievously pinch two really decent seats from a couple that had to leave early to get their train - result!

War Horse I've seen twice and besides Book of Mormon it might be my second favourite thing on stage. It's just so beautifully executed and the story is really real - sometimes you completely forget that it's a puppet horse. Be prepared to cry, and cry a lot, if you love horses. This is tough on the ol' heartstrings, but it's just amazing.

Wow, what an evening. Really impressive set. We had seats right up in the gods which were ok, but I think you'd get a much more immersive experience down in the stalls. It really is something how they have managed to bring horses to life through the medium of costume! Obviously it's a pretty heavy storyline but there's plenty of uplifting stuff in there too. Left feeling o so slightly depressed at how mankind behaves and doesn't seem to learn, but at the same time amazed with the creativity of the cast and production. The theatre is only a few minutes away from Covent Garden so plenty of spots to have a pre theatre drink/bite.

Hubby took me for my birthday and I felt it might have been a bit too much hype and a let down!! Now way lived it start to finish, great show and could not recommend enough. My 11 year old niece went too (lover of horses) and she saw very moved by it. Great family performance.

Great performances from all the cast, the puppetry was so naturalistic. I especially loved the atmosphere of old England with the rural accents, singing, farm settings and the transistion over to the dark, dirt and horror of war in the Somme. Throughly enjoyed it and would recommend to everyone!

wow,what can we say..Fantastic!!!! the horses themselves took on the character of a real life horses and so believable that we wanted to go up and stroke them..you wouldn't of know it was being operated by actors..there was no special affects was all done by the slight hands and the superb acting..Amazing!! one if the best shows we have ever seen if not the best.we would recommend this to All.

"title"

Spectacular puppeteering, the stage set up was brilliant, making every seat in the house unusually visual. The musical addition to the story was superb. The whole thing was moving, unique and believeable. The star of the show - the goosey gander!

Visually spectacular, as you'd expect, but for me the relationship between man and horse was a little hard to buy in to. Still, I've never owned a horse, so maybe it's just me. Some good performances, but it's hardly a subtle play, more a fireworks display of staging and engineering wonders.

It is one of those once in a lifetime productions that can't be missed. This production moved me to tears (in a good way) and the horses were almost more alive than real horses - how can that be? A performance that will live long in the memory!

Truly enjoyed this fantastic show from start to finish! The horses were dazzling and so exciting to watch come alive. The acting was spot-on and the story line itself was easy to get caught up in. I would recommend this show to anyone who loves a good show and anyone who needs a good cry… bring tissues!

We were truly impressed when we saw Phantom of the Opera, in its inaugural year and were equally impressed by Marti Webb portraying Evita a short while after.
There followed several decades of less than memorable theatre, which was finally relieved, about two years ago, when we were able to see a fantastically athletic performance of Michael Frayne's, Noises- Off.......
And then on Monday 25th November 2013, we witnessed a stunning performance of Warhorse, which we have added to our all-time list of theatrical landmarks. Life is really too short to miss this.

War Horse initially did not attract me, but intrigued me after such good reviews.
NOTHING made me ready for the emotional turmoil I felt...
I had no tissues & my heart was opened & wept with the story & the acting realism,
War Horse team are creating magic & sharing love every day in this wonderful story.
Like nothing I have seen before, the puppet framed horses were MORE real than real, because of their very fragility. Brilliant production.

Went here with 3 different generations of the family at the weekend. Fantastic show, so cleverly designed and really engaging. Having read the book and seen the film, I wasn't disappointed by the performance - it was innovative and fun....and enjoyed by the whole family!

I took my 9 and 13 year old sons to see this. We booked last minute and had restricted view seats which weren't great but didn't ruin it either although I would definitely recommend getting seats facing straight onto the stage not side views if you can. The boys both enjoyed the show although I think they found the parts involving some script in German and French difficult to follow. It certainly got them talking anyway! As an adult, I loved it. I've read the book but not seen the film and this has been on my 'to do' list for quite some time. Having read the book, the ending seemed a bit too shortened for me but nevertheless it's definitely a show I'd highly recommend. Everyone's seen the puppets on tv and in pictures, but the way the puppeteers work them is quite incredible, so life-like.

Absolutely worth seeing. Yes predictable storyline maybe, but still moving. The horses were incredible. Agree with an earlier comment, they start out as puppets, but by the end, hard to believe they are not real!

Disappointing. It was flat, with one -dimensional characters, poor acting and predictable plot. Generally a shameless tear-jerker. Puppetry of the warhorse itself was only so-so. I would say that even The Lion King has a better puppetry, more depth, better songs and better acting...
One thing amazes me - why didn't the paid reviewers see it? Guessing by the reviews here, I am not alone in my views.

I bought a cheap ticket, however it wasnt one of the ones with a 'restricted view' warning, imagine my surorise when I could only see half the stage! Luckily the show was not a sell out so my neighbour and I coukd shift around a bit. I agree that the script and acting was not 5 star, however I didnt expect it to be. I loved the puppets and pupeteers, truly well done and very life like. The main character stole the show, but only just from the goose!
I recommend this show for a matinee viewing.

Bought the tickets through Time Out which I won't be doing again as they were £16 (Each) more than the price on the ticket.
The play was disappointing. Great production but the narrative was as weak as water. Even for a play from a children's book, are there seriously any adults out there who found the story engaging, interesting and thought provoking?

Truly awful and devastatingly boring after the first hour. If you enjoy acting, music, plot, or your time/money then this "play" is not for you. The puppetry is impressive, but the shoddy script and acting left me wishing that the same puppets were in a better production. If they ever lower the astronomical prices for the seats it may be worth taking small children to or just seeing so that you may form your own opinion. However, at the current pricing scheme I felt duped for going. Really, just go see Phantom or Les Miz (which deserve 8 stars each if this rubbish deserves 5).

Just wow. This was one of the best things I have seen on stage in years, and that despite the fact that the actual story is a lot of sentimental tosh. Forget the story - just watch and enjoy one of the best stagings ever. Most of all, this is miles better than the Spielberg film, which, having around the same amount of time to play with as the stage performance, managed to cut bits of the story which actually rendered it incoherent as well as tearjerking (Captain Nicholls). Can't compare to the book as I could not bring myself to read it. Go see it for the pure theatrical experience, you won't regret it. The rating is justified for that alone.

Echo RL&F's comments below. Exceptional puppeteering but once you've marvelled at that for a while you're left with two and a half hours of poor script, a clunky, obvious plot with mawkish ending and school-play level acting. We were in £52 seats to one side of the dress circle but were unable to see some scenes at all as they were set on the far right of the stage. The theatre is tatty and uncomfortably hot with inadequate air conditioning/ventilation - seriously in need of refurbishment.